Daddy's coming home
by Lady Schumi
Summary: That's right, Sparky. Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's gonna be a spanking  Angel returns from the ocean and has to face Connor. Note: Corporal punishment, spanking, if not your thing do not read
1. Chapter 1

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history

Upon hearing the noise coming from the other room, Angel gathered what little strength he had left and went to see what was going on. He found himself face to face with Connor.

"Sit down," he ordered calmly but with authority. Connor had never seen him like this. Angel always tried to be his friend. The only time that he had seen a glimpse of his father's paternal nature was when he had checked his arms to see if he had taken drugs, but never again until now, and it scared him. He couldn't stop thinking about the threat that Gunn had made. "That's right, Sparky. Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's gonna be a spanking," sounded over and over in his head, and he could not shut it up. He took a step back and worked up the courage and finally he said,

"You can't take me."

"Do you really believe that?" No, in fact, he didn't believe it. He knew that he was in trouble. He knew that Gunn was right, and he also knew that he didn't have any other option, so he picked up the chair where he'd been tied up and sat down as defiantly as he could, trying not to show any fear. His attitude could say one thing but his face said another. It was in that moment that Angel realized all was not lost with his son. He sat down in a chair to have a conversation with him. He knew that he had to punish him, but he also should clear up some things. His son needed and deserved to know how things had really happened.

"So... How was your summer? Mine was good. Saw some fish. Went mad with hunger. Hallucinated a whole bunch."

"You deserved it."

"Because I killed Holtz—except I didn't." He could see that his son was trying to be brave. "I tried to tell you that while you were busy offshore dumping me, but I didn't know the whole score. Holtz killed himself. Actually, he had your buddy Justine do it with an ice pick. Just to make you hate me." He could see that his son was overcome with guilt, but the boy acted rude.

"Even if. You still deserved it." Angel could see the pain of betrayal in his son's eyes. The man that he had considered his father had lied to him.

"What I deserve is open to debate. But understand there is a difference between wishing vengeance on someone and taking it. So now, the question becomes, what do you deserve?" That was it for Connor. Now what Gunn had said sounded in his head with even more force. "That's right, Sparky. Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's gonna be a spanking." Spankings, Holtz had given him a few when he was growing up and he hated them. He had always complained that he was the Destroyer and he couldn't get punished like that and Holtz had always told him, "You may be the Destroyer, but I am your father." Of course even after a well-deserved spanking his father consoled him until he fell asleep. How he missed his father. He could not think of Angel in those terms, so he ran, but was intercepted by his father, who held firmly by the arm and said,

"Daddy's not finished talking."

"I am."

"What do you deserve, Connor?" Connor almost said a spanking but changed the sentence before it left his mouth. Connor knew what Holtz would have done to him, but with Angel, he didn't know, and he doubted that he would have thought of that.

"You're going to kill me?" he said, halfway between a question and a statement.

"No, Connor. I'm going to act like your father," Angel said, and began to drag him to his room.

Connor entered into a blind panic, certain now that Angel was going to beat him and he didn't want that, much less with Fred and Gunn in the hotel.

"NO! NO SPANKING! NO…" But when he didn't get an answer from Angel, he continued, screaming, "DAD, YOU CAN'T HIT ME. I'M TOO OLD FOR THAT."

"That's right, Connor—Dad. I'm Dad and that's why I can do it."

"You're tired… You have to eat… No… Just… You can get rid of me," he begged.

"You're my son, Connor. I will never get rid of you."

When he entered the room, he sat down on Connor's bed and deposited his son, kicking and screaming the whole time, over his knees.

"I AM THE DESTROYER. YOU CAN'T JUST SPANK ME!"

"And I'm the Destroyer's dad." Connor little by little began to see the similarities between his fathers. He never thought that Angel would act like a father but instead like a monster that would tear his head off or throw him out into the street. But here he was with his behind pointed toward the ceiling waiting to be spanked.

"You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me," he tried to manipulate his father as a last resort.

"I don't want to, son, but I have to do it," he said, taking down his pants and underwear.

"NO, DAD!" Connor yelled, trying to grab his clothes but being prevented by Angel.

"Enough, Connor. Now, why are you getting this spanking?"

"…"

SWAT

"Ah!" he cried out, more from the surprise than from pain.

"Answer me, Connor. We can stay here all night." This terrified Connor. If spankings from Holtz had hurt, the vampire's would be worse.

"Because I locked you in a box." SWAT, SWAT

"What else, Connor?" SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"I lied to you." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"No" SWAT "more" SWAT "lies" SWAT "Connor" SWAT "I need" SWAT "to be able" SWAT "to trust you" SWAT.

"Owww, Daaaaad, it huuuurts!"

"What else, Connor?"

"I lied to everyone. To Fred and Gunn."

"What else?"

"I don't know."

"How did you behave for them?" If he had treated them this past couple months like he had treated them in the ten minutes since Angel got home, his boy was in big trouble.

"Good, Dad, I swear."

"You sure? That's not what I saw." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"They were torturing me, Dad." Connor was grateful that his father at least stopped hitting him long enough to let him answer. He knew that a voice mixed with sobs wasn't very befitting of the Destroyer, but from a very young age he knew that in these conditions, it was better to do and say what his father ordered.

Angel couldn't resist hugging his baby at this declaration, and with vampire speed he had his son cradled in his arms.

"Baby, what did they do to you?" Connor didn't understand at all. He had done something much worse to his father and now his father was consoling him. That made him cry harder as he felt even guiltier, and he couldn't help but sound like a baby accusing his abusers.

"Fred shocked me with a taser a few times."

"I'm going to kill her," Angel said, releasing his son.

"Noooo, Dad, no. It was my fault. She had just found out about what I did to you."

"Nobody touches my baby," Angel growled furiously.

"And Gunn yelled at me all the time and they tied me in the chair and Gunn punished me and wouldn't let me go out to hunt." This suggested to Angel that his little angel had not behaved as well as he'd said he had, and he put him back across his lap with a threatening hand on his butt.

"Dad, we were talking," Connor complained.

"What did you do that made Gunn have to punish you?"

"I…" SWAT "I didn't follow orders and a vampire almost killed me."

Angel looked around and saw a wooden hairbrush. He was grateful that his son had long hair (something that he would take care of soon; it was too long for his liking). He stood up to get it without letting go of Connor, who looked horrified.

"Dad, what do you need that for?"

"So that you don't risk your life again," he said, rearranging his little whelp, and CRACK!

"OWWW!" Connor screamed in pain.

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK

"You never risk your life."

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK

"Hunting is not a game, and you are not allowed to go hunting until I can trust you to play it safe and not risk your life."

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK

"Daddy, stop… You're hurting me."

CRACK, CRACK

Angel left the brush at the side of the bed and said,

"Connor Angel, if you ever put your life at risk again, I will give you the whipping of your life. It'll make this one seem like a boat ride." SWAT "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad," he sobbed.

Angel rested his hand on his son's butt. Connor, despite being ashamed and embarrassed by this whole ordeal, was grateful because that cool hand helped ease a little bit of the pain. After letting him cry for a few minutes, Angel decided to finish up his son's punishment.

"Connor Angel, never again are you going to try to fight with me."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You are not going to try to kill me."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"And you are going to obey me."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Because I am your father and I love you."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Everything that I do is for your benefit. You are the most important thing in my life and I don't want to lose you."

Meanwhile Connor cried desperately because of the pain in his butt and because of the words of his dad. Yes, Angel was his dad, and for his own well-being, he'd better get used to it soon, he thought, rubbing his bottom.

"It's over, little one. Daddy's got you. You're safe." Connor let himself be hugged by Angel until his crying turned into sobs and then until the sobs subsided.

"Come on, Conn, go wash your face," Angel said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

When Connor returned, he saw his dad taking the television from his room.

"What are you doing?"

"Connor, you're being punished. No television and none of that little game," he said, motioning for him to give him his Game Boy.

"But Dad."

"But nothing. Three months."

"That's too much."

"Would you prefer a spanking a day for every day that you had me in the ocean?"

"No," he said, looking at the floor embarrassed and handing over the Game Boy.

"That's a good boy. Now come with me. You have a lot of apologies to make."

"Now?" he asked, rubbing his bottom. He did not want to see anyone. He was so ashamed that his dad had spanked him like a kid, but he had to admit that that was what he was.

Angel left the TV and the game in his own room and went with Connor to see the rest of the gang.

"Guys, Connor has something to say…" He saw that his son was visibly distressed and added, "But first, if anyone touches my son again, I will kill them."

"Angel," Gunn said angrily.

"I know what he did, and I know why you did it, but Connor is my son, and I will be the only one to discipline him." At that, Connor's cheeks, which were already pretty red, looked like they were going to burst with shame. "Is that clear?"

"And if by chance you get buried again?"

"It's not going to happen again… Right, Connor?" Connor nodded painfully. "But if he ever again puts his life in danger and I'm not around, his butt is yours." Of course his son's safety came first.

"Dad."

"Don't give me that look, Connor Angel. I'm still very angry with you."

"I'm sorry," he said, wanting to be done with all of this. "Sorry I lied to you and kicked your asses." He just couldn't pass up the opportunity to say that. Of course, he was rewarded with a hard slap. "Ouch," he said, putting his hands on his butt to cover it from future blows.

"Try again, Connor."

"Sorry I attacked you after you tortured me."

"Connor."

"And for disobeying and putting myself in danger and not listening to you guys."

"Guys, Connor is grounded for three months. There will be no hunting for him, no television, and no Game Boy."

"You would have to tell them," he complained.

"Connor, they are also in charge of you."

"Connor, I'm sorry about how I reacted," Fred said.

"It's okay… It's not like I didn't deserve it," he said in barely a whisper.

"Good boy. It looks like you got what you deserved, so we're cool," said Gunn, ruffling his hair.

"Didn't it ever occur to you guys to take Conn to get a haircut?" Angel complained.

"Excuse us for being more concerned about saving your ass."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Angel said, raising his hands.

"Conn, do you want something to eat?" Fred asked.

"Only my dad can call me that," he complained childishly, but he liked having something that belonged to just Angel and him.

"Okay, then. Connor, do you want something to eat?"

"No taser?" he asked. Obviously he couldn't pass up that opportunity, either.

"And no tomatoes," Fred said, embarrassed.

Everyone ate dinner peacefully. Connor couldn't stop moving around in his seat, even though doing so hurt. He would heal quickly, but he thought it would hurt at least a couple more days. Nobody said anything about it except for Gunn, and after the glare Angel gave him, he didn't make any more comments.

Angel accompanied his son to bed and gave him a goodnight kiss on the forehead, and Connor dissolved into tears again.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"He used to do the same thing."

"Sweetheart, it's over."

"My father died. He left me alone, Dad. And I had to cut off his head."

"Son, you did what you thought was best."

"I thought that he loved me, and he only used me for revenge and I sank you in the ocean for that… I'm a mess… How can you love me?" he cried hysterically.

"I'll always love you, always. And I am your father, only me."

"He took care of me the same as you're doing now. But he couldn't have loved me."

"He loved you, baby. He gave you back to me."

"But he killed himself so that I would kill you."

"Holtz was consumed by revenge, son. He loved you very much, but his pain would not let him see that he was hurting you."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm a bad son."

"No, baby. You were just confused. But now you have your dad at your side." They embraced until Connor fell asleep. Angel gently rose to go to his room but Connor took hold of his hand.

"Don't go. Don't leave me." He sounded like a little boy. Angel thought about it for a few seconds and said,

"I'm not going anywhere." He settled onto the bed and fell asleep with his baby in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history.

Agradezco enormemente Ketterly la traducción de la historia los invito a leer el resto de mis historias que están en español pero pueden usar un traductor para poder comprenderlas.

The following morning…

When he first woke up, Connor didn't remember everything that had happened. He found himself in Angel's arms. That felt strange to him, and he began to struggle for his father to let him go.

"LET ME GO, YOU MONSTER!" he screamed, trying to hit Angel, who deftly turned his son over and with vampire speed, lowered his pajamas to just below his bottom and gave him four hard smacks.

"Calm down, Connor." That was enough to rekindle the pain in Connor's butt and help him remember what had happened.

"DAD, stop. I'm sorry. I forgot. I forgot!" he said, fighting back the tears that the new pain had brought.

"I thought we were very clear that there would be no more fighting," Angel said.

"I'm sorry… I had forgotten what happened yesterday," he said, his cheeks flushing.

"I hope that you don't forget very often, because I don't like having to whack your little butt."

"For something you don't like, you do it awfully well," he complained, rubbing his bottom.

"Conn," Angel warned.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Now, you grab a shower and I'll wait for you downstairs for breakfast," Angel said, propelling him forward with a light smack.

"Dad, that hurts," he complained as he took off for the bathroom.

Angel went down to meet his friends.

"We have to talk about Connor."

"Of course we have to talk about Connor," Gunn said indignantly, believing that Connor had gotten off lightly for all his antics.

"How was his behavior while I was gone?"

"Terrible."

"Gunn!" Fred chided.

"Aside from the small detail that he gave you a one-way ticket to the depths of the ocean, he doesn't listen. He would sneak out at night to fight alone. When we were out as a team, he'd run off and leave us to fight alone. Here at home, he'd only get his head out of the Game Boy long enough to eat, and even then, he'd only eat what he wanted."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? For wanting to do the best you could for him?" Fred asked.

"No. When he came back, I just tried to be his friend. I knew that he didn't love me, and I was afraid to act like his father. Not anymore."

"So what are you gonna do?" Connor asked defiantly.

"I told you, be your father. Now sit down and shut up."

"Yesterday was different. I was confused. But don't think that I'm going to let you tell me what to do. I'm the Destroyer," he said without moving from the staircase.

"Connor, the first thing that you need to learn is that when your dad gives you an order, you obey it. If you decide not to do it, my hand will go straight to your butt so fast. No excuses and no explanations."

"It's not fair," Connor said.

"Life isn't fair, son. And if I have to tell you again to sit your butt down, you're going to be a very sorry little boy." Connor knew that he should do as he was told, but the rebellious teenager in him wouldn't let him. Angel just stood up, took him by the ear, and dragged him to the chair he should have been sitting in. But instead of sitting him down, Angel sat down himself and arranged the boy over his lap.

"Fred, Gunn, I'm sorry if this upsets you, but I have to punish my son," he announced.

"No, Daddy, no," Connor cried, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Go right ahead. I think he needs it bad," Gunn said.

"Okay with me," Fred said. She didn't really like the idea, but Connor was Angel's son, and it was up to him to punish him. To be honest, if he'd been her son, she would have given him a lot more than what Angel had given him the night before.

"You're crazy. You can't just stand around and watch him hit me!" he yelled angrily as he felt the first swat his father gave him.

"I'll go get the brush, Angel," Gunn offered kindly, knowing that wasn't quite what Connor had meant.

"I would appreciate that," Angel said. Even though he'd had no intention of giving him more than ten smacks, he didn't know how Connor might react when they finally had the rest of their conversation.

"No, Gunn, please. I'll be good, Dad." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT "OWWW, Dad, it hurts!"

"The last time I checked, a spanking is supposed to hurt, son."

"OUCH! But you already punished me last night!" SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Yeah, and you didn't learn much." SWAT, SWAT

"Daddy, I'm going to sit down and shut up, I swear!"

"Consider this your last warning."

Once the hairbrush was on the table, Angel held it just below Connor's line of vision so that he would see it and keep his temper in check.

"Like I said yesterday, Connor is grounded for three months. He is restricted from fighting. He doesn't have permission to watch television or to play with that little game. He is going to have a list of chores" (while his son had slept peacefully in his arms, Angel had looked on the Internet for parenting advice—it had been a long time since he'd known how to relate to children) "like setting the table, washing the dishes, doing laundry. Every day, he will have a list of what he needs to get done."

"Seriously?" Connor whined, but it only took one look from Angel to silence his complaints.

"Fred, if you can, I need you to do an evaluation on Connor and see what his knowledge levels are. If not, I'll hire a tutor. I want Connor to start school as soon as possible."

"I don't want to," Connor said.

"Son, you are going to go even if I have to spank you every day in the doorway of the school." They both knew that was an empty threat—he would do it at the hotel to get him into the car. But Angel thought that seemed like a more intimidating threat.

"What about kids' rights?" Connor asked.

"When I explain to them that it's because you don't want to go to study, they'll understand," Angel said.

"He has a point. Maybe I'll take you, Connor," Gunn said.

"We can start this afternoon," Fred interrupted, seeing the look of anguish on Connor's face.

"You can't just treat me like a little kid. My father never treated me like this," Connor lied.

"You're lying. I can tell when you lie. The truth has a better sound to it. Less nasal. And you will certainly tell no more lies, Conn."

"Make me." But when he saw his dad pick the brush up, he said, "No, Daddy, I didn't mean it. I wasn't serious. No more lies."

"No more disrespect."

"Yes, sir."

"No, not sir. I am Dad or Daddy. I don't want your fear, Connor. I want your respect," Angel said, taking his face in his hand and turning it so that his son could see the honesty in his eyes.

"I got it."

"When you're no longer grounded," Angel continued, "you'll have a curfew. Home by seven and in bed by 10."

"That's crazy. I'm sorry, Dad, but that's a time for babies," Connor complained.

"You'll have classes at 8 AM. You have to rest. And while you're grounded, you'll be in bed by 8 PM."

"And what am I gonna do? Stare at the ceiling?" Connor asked.

"I would prefer that you sleep, but if you want, you can read a book until 10."

"I'm not a child. I'm no longer the baby that was stolen from you. I'm an adult."

"I know you're not the baby that was taken from me, but you are a child. My child. And you're only sixteen, many years away from being an adult," Angel said.

"How do you know my age? I could be 21. You don't know how time worked in Quor-toth."

"But I know what a 21-year-old looks like, and you don't look like one. You look 16." Connor stuck out his tongue. He didn't know why. He was just following his instincts.

"And you act sixteen."

"If you've finished humiliating me in front of everyone, could we eat?"

"It's not my intention to humiliate you."

"Look at Gunn's face. He's enjoying this."

"Seeing you get your ass whipped, yes, but only because you deserve it," Gunn told him. "You were a real spoiled brat, and there wasn't one second in the past three months that I didn't think about putting you over my knee and spanking you until you couldn't even cry about the pain. And yeah, I think that your dad let you off too easy this time."

"Easy? You think this has been easy? He hit me really hard and grounded me to infinity. That's not easy!" he yelled, controlling himself so that he didn't jump up and grab Gunn by his neck and break him into a thousand pieces. "I'm the Destroyer, dammit! In Quor-toth, everyone feared me, but here, I'm just the brat that everyone thinks they can boss around—'Connor, don't do that,' 'Connor do this.' You're not my father, you just work for him."

Although Angel understood how he felt, Connor was not going to be allowed to disrespect his friends. He lifted him out of his chair and smacked him all the way to the bathroom, ignoring his cries.

"Open." He ordered him to open his mouth. When Connor did, to complain, he shoved a wet, sudsy bar of soap in his mouth. "Five minutes."

Connor could not believe that his dad was doing this to him. Holtz had told him that this was a form of punishment, but luckily for him, they didn't have soap in Quor-toth, and besides that, he only knew the words that his father had taught him and never would have dared to be as disrespectful as he was being now. After five minutes, Angel let him rinse his mouth.

"When we go back out, you are going to apologize to Gunn and thank him for taking care of you while I was gone. Then you'll do the same with Fred and ask them what you can do to repay them."

"I'll do no such thing," Connor said without much conviction. If Angel spanked him, he would do and say what his dad wanted, but not of his own accord.

"Well, then you can put your nose in the corner until you change your mind," he said, pointing to the wall.

"Guys, I'm so sorry about my son's behavior. I'm so embarrassed about how he's acted, and I'm eternally grateful to you for taking such good care of him while I was gone."

"Don't worry, Angel. We love Connor like he's our own," Gunn said.

Connor did feel bad after what his father said, but even then he was prepared to stand in the corner until Angel gave up. But after listening to Gunn, he felt much guiltier and could see that all Gunn's yelling was just to keep him safe and the only time he'd really punished him was when he'd almost succeeded in getting himself killed because he didn't follow orders. Without knowing how, he turned away from the wall and faced Gunn.

"I'm sorry. What I said wasn't true. I was just embarrassed that my dad punished me in public," he said, blushing. "I recognize everything that you guys did for me, and I'm sorry I was a spoiled brat."

Gunn just threw an arm around him.

"Come here, kid. All I want is for you to be safe and to become a good man. I know it's gonna take a little time to get used to your new family, but you're stuck with us."

"Thanks. Fred, I'm sorry I lied to you. I'll try never to do it again."

"Oh, come here! Just a few months ago you were a baby, and now here you are a little man," she said.

"Don't say that," Connor said, embarrassed.

"It's true."

"Dad, I'm really sorry that I didn't let you explain, and about everything that I did. I hope that one day you can forgive me."

"Sweetheart, I have nothing to forgive. I am always going to love you."

"Thanks for being my dad, and for making me understand that you are, even though my butt isn't so grateful."

"Come here, smarty pants. You have to eat breakfast."

After breakfast, Fred tested Connor's knowledge, which was surprisingly good. It seemed he was adjusting well to his new dimension. He only had big knowledge gaps in math and science, which luckily was her specialty. He had a few other minor deficiencies, but with hard work, Connor might be enrolled in school in no less than two months.

Meanwhile, Angel talked with a forger who could get Connor his papers. Then he made an appointment with a doctor he'd done a job for before who wouldn't ask questions about Connor's identification and would help him figure out his medical history.

Gunn handled their cases that day.

During lunch hour, Fred informed them about the good news. At first Connor was reluctant to go to school, but after talking with Fred, he couldn't wait to go. Maybe it would be good for him to be around people his own age. He wasn't happy at all, however, when Angel told him he had a doctor's appointment.

Luckily, the medical center had an underground parking garage, so Angel didn't have any problems.

After examining and weighing Connor, the doctor finally spoke.

"In general, he looks well. But he's missing all his vaccinations, and yes, don't give me that look, he has to have them," he said, seeing the distressed look on Angel's face. Connor's expression didn't change because he didn't know what the doctor was talking about. "We'll have to do a blood test, and I'm going to give you these vitamins to take one a day," he said, showing him the tablets.

"I'm not taking that garbage," Connor said, knocking them aside.

"Connor Angel, last warning. Pick up that medicine, and you are going to take it."

"NO."

"Doctor, do you have vitamin injections?" Angel asked.

"Yes. One per week for a month. After that, we'll have to see if that'll do or if we need to give him something stronger. The nurse is going to come in now and give him his vaccines and the shot."

"Thanks," Angel said. "Connor Angel, you pick up those pills right now."

Connor recognized that as an order, so he didn't delay in picking up the damn pills and handing them to the doctor.

"Sorry I threw them down," he said.

Yes, a couple spankings had done wonders for Connor's attitude.

"No problem," he said, leaving the room. He knew that when Connor found out what shots actually were, he wouldn't want to be there. But he also knew that Angel would prevent any misbehavior with the nurse.

"Hello, I'm Kathy," the nurse said. "I've come to take a blood sample and give you your vaccines." When she looked and saw that they were vaccinations that he should have had as a baby, she gave Angel a funny look and he could tell that it kind of bothered her.

"His mother didn't believe in vaccinations and I just recently got custody of him," Angel explained. Even though he didn't like blaming Darla, that was the story he told, that Connor had lived with his mother and been homeschooled until three months ago when his mother had died. Then he had come to live with his father, and yes, Angel was just a kid when they'd had him.

"Well, Connor, I need you to give me your arm so I can take the sample." After she had squeezed his arm, which was uncomfortable for Connor, he saw that she was bringing a needle closer to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Dad, what is she doing?"

"Son, look at me, don't look at your arm," he said, hugging him. While he did, he took the opportunity of turning his head so he didn't have to look, and for good reason (blood and vampire). "She's going to inject the needle into your vein and take a little bit of blood."

"Dad, no," Connor said, a little bit afraid but not knowing how to say it without raising suspicions.

"I have it under control, Conn," Angel said, hiding his vampire face.

"OUCH! That hurts!" he complained.

"Connor, you were a very brave boy," she said, then turned to Angel. "There are seven shots. Do you want to do them all at once or make another appointment?"

"I would prefer all at once. I don't think I can get him back here again," he said, nodding at the needles.

"Well, there are five in the arm and two in the bottom. I'll start with the ones in the arm."

"What is she saying about my bottom?" Connor asked.

"Where the shots will go."

"Dad!"

"The ones in the arm first."

The vaccinations in his arm didn't hurt too much, but he didn't like them at all, and now he had more coming.

"Good, Connor, now lie face down and pull your pants down a little," the nurse said.

"NO! YOU'RE CRAZY, PERVERT!"

"Connor, do as she asks and control your tongue."

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO LET..."

"Give me a few minutes, please," Angel said.

The nurse simply left. "Tell me when you're done," she said. Yes, she knew very well what was about to happen in that room. This wasn't the first child to think he was grown up enough to decide whether he'd get a shot or not. It always ended the same, with them crying before she even got back in the room.

"Connor, you have to take the shots," Angel said.

"No."

"We both know that it'sgonna happen. Now the question is, do you want a spanking before they stick you?"

"I don't care. They're not going to stick me. She hurt my arms." Connor had seen enough to know that if he said something hurt, Angel would kill the person who'd done him harm. What he didn't count on was that his father was inflexible when it came to his health. Angel took him and put him over his knees and lowered his pants and underwear.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Dad, that hurts! I'm going to do what you say, I swear!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You're going to apologize for being rude."

"NO!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Yes, Daddy, like you said. I'll apologize. I'll apologize!"

Angel stopped swatting him and called to the nurse, who made no comment about the state of the boy in front of her. She just wished that someday she wouldn't have to be giving shots to kids covered in tears, but she knew that that wouldn't happen.

"Connor, relax your bottom, please." When that didn't happen, like she figured, she gave him a little spank.

"OWWWWW!" Connor cried when he felt the first prick of the needle. Luckily the liquid didn't hurt that much. The second one was the same. But the vitamin shot was a different story.

"OWWWWW, Dad! It's hurting me, Daddy!"

"It'll be over soon, baby. Just a little bit more."

"I-it h-hurts," Connor cried while Angel held his legs to stop him from kicking.

"All done. The doctor will be in soon," she said.

"That hurt me a lot, Dad," Connor said, sobbing and rubbing his butt.

"I know, baby."

"I don't want any more shots," Connor was saying, but was interrupted by the doctor.

"The blood test came out relatively well, but Connor is very malnourished. I'm going to put him on a diet that needs to be strictly followed, but if he wants to eat more, that's fine."

"But Conn eats all day long."

"Yes, but he is deficient in iron and some vitamins. When was the last time that he ate something like beans or tomatoes?"

"I don't eat them. I don't like them," Connor said.

"Well, you're going to have to start eating them or I'll have to raise the dosage of your vitamin shots," the doctor said.

"No, and I don't want more shots. I'm going to take the damn pills," he said defiantly. His father had said he had to obey him. He hadn't said anything about the rest of it.

"Connor Angel, I suggest you change that attitude unless you want another spanking." Connor turned red with embarrassment at his father's threat.

"But Daddy, the shots hurt me a lot," he said, his bottom lip quivering. Yes, he was a master of manipulation and knew that the word "daddy" could get him everything, and he was right. But Angel knew it, too, and this time, as much as he wanted to give Connor his way, he knew that for the well-being of his son, he shouldn't.

"No, you had your chance and you made a choice. Now you have to live with it." Connor pouted. The doctor smiled, knowing how difficult this was for Angel, having witnessed his suffering when he'd lost his son.

"Well, here's the meal plan. You can make an appointment with the secretary for the next shot or you can give it to him at home."

"At home. I'll learn how to do it."

"Can you come to a couple of courses this week?"

"Of course." He didn't want to hurt his son.

"And this is for you," he said, handing Connor a piece of candy.

"Thanks," he said sheepishly. After the threat Angel had just made, he didn't dare do or say anything that might make his father mad.

"Thanks for everything and goodbye," Angel said.

"Goodbye," the doctor replied.

"Why did you thank him for poking me?" Connor asked, still pouting. Angel had never seen him quite like this. He looked so much younger.

"Because he wants the best for you, just like Dad."

"I don't like it."

"Let's go home."

Connor complained all the way because his butt was hurting him.

"How did it go, dear?" Fred asked when they got home.

Connor, without knowing why, ran into Fred's arms.

"They poked me, Fred. They stuck me in the butt," he said, crying.

"Oh, poor baby," she said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "You want some ice cream?" Connor merely nodded.

After eating dinner (yes, a dinner of ice cream)…

"Fred, he has to eat what's on the list," Angel complained.

"Tomorrow," she said. "Today, he got a lot of shots, and he needs to be spoiled."

Just then, Gunn arrived with a case.

"Connor, brush your teeth and go to bed. When he gets back, Dad will come give you a goodnight kiss."

"I can go with you guys," Connor said.

"Connor…"

"I know, the baby is grounded," he said, muttering as he went upstairs.

He chewed on his rage for a while. He was the Destroyer, and here he was grounded. And not only that, but getting spanked and stuck with needles. He deserved to go out, so he took his weapons and went out the window.

Such was his luck that he ended up at just the place where Angel was fighting and came face to face with his furious father.

"Can you guys handle things for a moment?" Angel asked.

"Yes," Gunn said.

Angel went and without warning killed the vampire that was fighting Connor.

"I had him," Connor complained, but Angel, without saying a word, dragged him to his car and gave him ten very hard smacks on the bottom and put him into the car.

"If you leave from here, I will spank your bare bottom no matter who's watching. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad," he said in barely a whisper.

Angel returned to the fight, and with all the frustration that his disobedient son had caused him, finished killing the monster within minutes.

In the car…

"What were you thinking, Sparky?" Gunn yelled.

"Not that I was gonna run into you guys," he said. He was already in a deep hole; he wasn't going to make it worse with a lie.

When they arrived at the hotel…

"Connor, pajamas and bed, now," Angel ordered.

When Connor was out of hearing range, Angel said,

"I don't know what to do. I've already had to spank him so many times today. Maybe it's not working."

"He's testing you, Angel," said Fred.

"Are you nuts?" Gunn said. "Yes it's working. This boy isn't even a shadow of how he behaved in your absence, and I would have done the same to him whether we found him out there tonight or not. You're making great progress. He trusts you. What Connor needs is a real licking, not for you to stop when he says 'daddy.' That boy already knows that that word is magic."

"Well, I'm going to deal with my disobedient son. Good night."

In his room, Connor was trying to figure out how to get himself out of this situation. His butt was killing him, and he'd only had a sample. But when he couldn't come up with anything, he did the dumbest thing he could think of and tried to flee. Angel found him halfway out the window. He grabbed him by the arm and gave him five hard slaps with vampire strength that immediately made him cry. Then he took him by the ear and left him facing a corner.

"Don't you move a muscle," Angel said, leaving the room. He wasted no time in returning, and when he did, he nailed all the windows shut.

"Come here," he said to Connor.

"Daaaadddy." It was the only thing he could say through so much crying. But Gunn was right. Connor only called him that to get out of a spanking, so he just put his son across his lap and pulled down his pajama pants and underwear.

"I don't think it's necessary to say why we're here," he said, hitting him with vampire strength but taking care not to cause him any real damage.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"OWWWWWWWWWWW!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You are not going to break your grounding, and this thing with the hunting is over forever." Truth be told, he didn't want his son hunting or fighting, and that was why he got so upset when he saw him fighting against the vampire.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"That is not the life that you're going to live. Even if I have to spank you every day, you will not go out fighting again."

Connor just cried. His dad had never hit him so hard, and now he understood why he was doing it, but he was crying so hard that he couldn't even tell him he understood.

Angel righted Connor's clothes and took his son in his arms.

"I love you, Connor, and I want you to have a life ahead of you."

"But … I'm … strong," he finally said once he could talk.

"You are stronger than normal people, but you're still human."

"But … I like … to hunt."

"No, you will learn how to do other things, son."

"But Daddy."

"Let's make a deal. After one semester in school, once you've had the opportunity to learn how to do other things—play sports, have a girlfriend—we'll both sit down and talk about it and see if maybe you can go hunting sometimes."

"Yeah, that's if I can sit down again one day," Connor cried.

"I'm sorry I had to be so hard on you, but you left me no choice."

"Me, too. I know I left you no other choice. I was such a brat today, but I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

"That's called adolescence, Connor."

"Yeah, but on TV they say that people don't hit adolescents anymore."

"Don't believe everything they say on TV, son. Time for bed."

"Dad, will you stay with me?" Connor wasn't yet prepared to tell his dad, but when he closed his eyes, he still saw Angel submerged in the ocean.

"For as long as you want." Angel had heard his son cry during his dreams about what he had done, and he didn't know how long it would take him to forgive himself. "Sleep well, sweetheart. Daddy will take care of you while you dream."

Soon father and son were sleeping fused in an embrace that was interrupted only when Connor moved his hands to rub his aching bottom, which was definitely going to take a few days to stop hurting.

Fred and Gunn went to check on them, worried about Connor. They knew that he had really done it this time, but they couldn't stop worrying about him. Then they couldn't stop smiling when they saw them in each other's arms. They took a lot of pictures, and they were very similar to those that they had taken when Connor was just a baby and had slept in his father's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history.

Agradezco enormemente a Ketterly la traducción de la historia los invito a leer el resto de mis historias que están en español pero pueden usar un traductor para poder comprenderlas.

When Connor woke up, he didn't feel strange being hugged by his father, but he saw that Angel had on his vampire face. Even so, he wasn't afraid, but merely gently touched the raised eyebrows without knowing that he used to do the same thing when he was just a baby. Angel's face relaxed and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Good morning, Conn."

"To you, too, Dad."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Depends..." Seeing his father's face, he decided to continue. "My butt's killing me and I don't think it's ever going to stop hurting, but I never felt so safe before," he said, embarrassed. He didn't know what was worse, admitting to the pain in his butt or to the fact that he felt safe in his father's arms.

"What are your plans for today?"

"I have to shower, have breakfast, do the dishes. Then study, do the list of chores, study some more, and go to bed. My day is so entertaining," he said without enthusiasm.

"If you don't want to be grounded, you already know your other option."

"My day is very entertaining, Dad. The other option won't be necessary... Dad, you had your other face... Was it because of my scent?" he said upon realizing that when they embraced while they slept, his jugular was very close to his father's nose.

"It won't cause me to bite you, Conn. I would stake myself before doing you harm," Angel said.

"Tell that to my ass."

"Connor."

"I'm sorry. I'm going to go take a shower," he said, leaving before he got in trouble because of his big mouth.

Breakfast was the first fight, because Connor did not like the majority of what he had to eat, but most of all he hated tomatoes, and they had given him two pieces of toast with tomato.

"Connor, stop trying to take out the tomatoes. You're going to eat them anyway," Gunn said.

"I am not going to eat them," he said wantonly.

"Connor Angel, sit down and eat all your breakfast," Angel ordered as he came from his shower.

"I don't like tomatoes and I don't want to sit down. I'm fine, thanks."

"Connor Angel, either you sit down and eat those tomatoes, or I give you a spanking and then you sit down and eat those tomatoes," Angel said.

"But Daaaaaad!"

"You decide, Connor. Do I have to spank you or not?"

"No, Dad. But it hurts. I can't sit down," he said, red with shame not because of his father but because of Fred and Gunn who were listening.

"I can get you a cushion."

"Daddy, if I can eat the tomatoes standing up, you won't hear me complain about the milk."

"All right," Angel agreed, knowing that he should let Connor win some battles. "But no more complaints."

"No more complaints," Connor said, smiling.

Fred and Gunn were amazed at the connection that father and son had made in such a short time. It was like they'd never been separated. After eating, Angel helped Connor with the table and the dishes, and then left it to Fred to begin classes. Once Connor was able to concentrate, they went over various subjects. Fred was sure that she'd be able to get him caught up in most things this week and leave math and science for the next week, so she was happy.

"Angel, I think Connor could be enrolled in school in two weeks," she said.

"So soon?" he asked.

"Your son is very smart."

"Yes, but I worry that he won't be prepared."

"Connor is good with people, Angel. He'll be fine," Fred said.

"I'll ask them to hurry up with his papers and speak with Connor."

"Conn, can I come in?" Angel asked.

"No." After doing all his chores and tasks, Connor was bored and angry and tired of being grounded. Luckily, his butt only hurt a little bit, and after he slept, it might not hurt at all.

"Connor Angel, can I come in?" Angel repeated.

"I already said no. What are you, deaf?"

With that, Angel entered his boy's room anyway.

"Get out!" he said, pushing him out of his room. "It's my room, and I don't want you to be here!"

After giving him a couple of smacks and leaving him in a corner, Angel easily took off the door to Connor's room.

"Angel, what are you doing? Have you gone nuts?" he said, but without daring to leave the corner.

Angel gave him two more smacks.

"No talking while you're in the corner. Afterward, we'll talk about your lack of respect."

When Angel realized that Connor had calmed down, he allowed him out of the corner and sat him down on his left knee.

"What was that, Conn?" he asked.

"Fred said that I'm going to school soon, and what if they're not fair and they think I'm a monster?"

"Connor, why would they think that?" Angel sighed with relief. He hadn't understood Connor's change in attitude. One moment he was fine, and the next he was a little savage again.

"But Dad, I am a monster. Don't you see that? No one's going to like me."

"You're not a monster," Angel said. "You're a miracle—my miracle, and I'll love you forever."

"But what am I going to talk about? Hunting? I can't talk about Quor-toth, or about my parents, either."

"There is a story that you will learn, and you can tell that. I know it's not ideal, but we can't tell the truth. Also, Dad will teach you about sports. Do you want to go watch a game?"

"I'm not grounded?"

"We won't tell Dad," Angel laughed.

"No, I am grounded without television, so you'll just have to explain sports to me yourself." Although he hated being grounded, in some ways it made him feel less guilty.

"That's my baby. Son, I have to ask you something."

"Tell me."

"We can choose a second name for your papers. Do you want one in particular?"

Connor wanted to say Steven, but he didn't want to hurt his father.

"No," he finally said.

"I was thinking about Steven. I like Connor Steven Angel," Angel said, knowing that's what his son wanted.

"Thanks, Daddy. I wanted to say that, but I didn't want to make you feel bad after everything else that I've done to you."

"Son, listen to me. You were already punished, and you're still grounded, but everything—absolutely everything—is forgiven. I want you to understand very well that you just need to forgive yourself."

"That's not going to happen, never! You should have killed me!" he yelled angrily. How could his father be so good to him after everything that he had done? All of a sudden, he felt the need to ensure that Angel would just take vengeance on him, that he would stop loving him, and without thinking he made a wound in his neck and shouted at him,

"Come on. I know you want to do it!"

Angel, in his vampire face, had to use every effort not to jump on his son. The smell of the blood was killing him. He had to get out of there. But as he started to run he realized that this wasn't a simple cut that could be easily controlled, which meant his son was in danger. His fatherly instincts prevailed over all his vampire instincts, and he ran toward his son and put pressure on his neck and began to scream for Fred. When Fred and Gunn arrived, they helped Angel get Connor to the hospital. Fred called Connor's doctor on the way so that they would have everything ready when they arrived.

After Connor had gotten stitched up, Angel asked,

"What on earth were you thinking?"

"..."

"Angel, now is not the time," the doctor said, preparing a syringe, and without much sympathy, he ordered Connor, "Turn around and pants down."

"No, not again!" Connor cried immediately.

"Is that necessary?" Angel asked, feeling compassion for his son.

"Yes, it's an antibiotic to prevent any infection."

"I've never had any infection," Connor said.

"You've never lived here. Now do as I told you," the doctor said, again without any kindness.

When Connor saw that he had no other choice, he simply dropped his pants and lay face down on the hospital bed.

"Relax," the doctor said, giving him a hard smack as he shoved the needle in.

"Dad, it's hurting me!"

"Almost there, Conn," Angel said, even though it wasn't even halfway done.

"It hurts," he said, trying to kick but being prevented by Angel.

"Connor, be still. I know it hurts, but you can break the needle."

"You don't know how much it hurts. You've never been stuck," he complained.

"Done," the doctor said, removing the syringe. "Fix your clothes. I'm going to call a psychiatrist to do an evaluation."

"You can't," Angel said.

"Your son attempted suicide. He has to have a psychiatric evaluation."

"That's not true. I just wanted to pay him back in some way."

"What are you talking about, Connor?" Angel said furiously.

"I've been a horrible son, Dad. I only offered you my blood because I didn't know how else to make it up to you."

"We are going to have a very painful conversation, son, and when I say painful, I mean that last night is going to seem like a field day compared to what I'm going to give you. Now go to the corner," he ordered, too furious to deal with his son at the moment.

The doctor was satisfied with how Angel had handled things, but he still believed that Connor needed help from a specialist.

"I believe he should see a psychologist," the doctor said.

"I know," Angel said, "but we need one who understands these things."

"I can get one. I'll make him an appointment."

Connor hated when they talked about him like he wasn't there.

"Connor can decide and speak for himself," he said from his corner. He was so aggravated that Angel was treating him like a small child in front of this doctor that he didn't like at all.

"Connor is going to close his mouth if he doesn't want to get smacked right here," Angel answered.

Angel settled for no reply.

"How old is she?" Angel asked, seeing the photo of Christopher's (the doctor's) daughter.

"Franca is seventeen."

"Where does she go to school? I have to enroll Connor in school."

"San Fernando. It's not far from your hotel. I can make a call if you'd like."

"I would appreciate it."

Connor timidly came out of the corner and asked with fear, "And the kids are good?" He was terrified of being rejected.

"Yes, Connor. If you want, I can ask my daughter if she'll introduce you to some of her friends."

"Really?" Connor's smile lit up his face. "Dad, can I?"

"Your daughter can come to the hotel tomorrow, because Connor is grounded, and tomorrow he will be very sore," Angel told the doctor.

Connor turned red as a tomato.

"Dad, you didn't have to say that," he complained.

"I'll ask her," Christopher said, calling his daughter on the telephone. She was delighted.

"Well, Connor, you already have your first play date," Angel said.

Connor was enthralled when he saw Francisca's photo.

"Doctor, could you not tell your daughter that my dad… that he's going to punish me?" he said sadly. He didn't want the young lady to find out that his dad still treated him like a baby.

"I won't lie to her if she asks me, but I doubt she'll ask me," he said for Connor's peace of mind.

"And what will you tell her?"

"The truth. She knows Angel."

"Please tell me she didn't know me as a baby," he said. That was the worst thing that could happen.

"No, Conn, she didn't know you as a beautiful baby. That pleasure was mine," he answered, ruffling his hair. "And you liked shots then as much as you do now," he said, recalling that Connor had gotten a cold a little bit before he'd been kidnapped. That was how he knew that Connor wasn't immune to the bacteria of this dimension, but to the contrary, it appeared to affect him more easily than the rest of the population.

"Say goodbye and thank you, Connor," Angel said.

"What about my lollipop?"

"Here," Christopher said, handing him a piece of candy.

"Can't we stay just a little bit longer?" Connor definitely wasn't in a hurry to go home.

"No more stalling, Connor. We have to get going so my hand can have a conversation with your butt."

"I thought you'd forgotten about it."

"See you later," Angel said to the doctor.

In the hotel…

"Connor, go to your room, and stop by to get the hairbrush."

"But Daddy."

"Now."

Gunn waited until Connor had gone to say,

"What the hell was that?"

"He wanted to give me his blood to compensate me for sinking me in the ocean."

"I'm gonna kill him!" Gunn said, starting toward Connor's room.

"Gunn, no."

But he didn't stop. When he arrived upstairs, he realized that the door was newly missing from Connor's room.

"What happened to the door?" he asked.

"My dad took it away from me," Connor answered.

"Why?"

"Because I was a bad boy. Happy?" That told Gunn all that he needed to know, and Connor didn't see the need for Gunn to know why or how his father punished him. That was between Angel and him.

"What did you do?"

"I misbehaved, Gunn, and my dad punished me. Everything else is between me and him, nobody else, so don't ask me anything else about it."

"How could you do that to your father?" Gunn asked, indicating the bandage on his neck.

"That's between my dad and me," he said through clenched teeth.

"Do you know how difficult that was for him? Why do you keep torturing him?" That comment was like a knife for Connor.

"That's not true! I didn't want to hurt him. It's not my fault, being a monster," he said, crying.

"Gunn, get out," Angel yelled.

"How long are you going to let your brat hurt you?"

Connor only cried harder, but he saw it when Angel changed face and pushed Gunn against the wall.

"NEVER TALK TO MY SON LIKE THAT. NEVER MAKE HIM CRY OR I WILL KILL YOU."

"Angel!" Gunn yelled, frightened.

"YOU HEAR ME?"

"DAD, NO!" Connor yelled, running to get Angel away from Gunn.

After a few seconds, Angel realized what he was doing.

"I'm sorry, Gunn."

"This is getting old, Angel," Gunn said, leaving. It was a good thing there was no door, because he would have broken it in his anger.

"We'll talk later, Gunn," Angel called.

"Whatever."

"Connor, sit down," Angel ordered.

"I don't like it when you get aggressive with Uncle Gunn or Aunt Fred, Daddy," he said, talking like a little kid, not to manipulate his father but because he was actually afraid.

"Come here," Angel said, hugging him. "I love you so much, Connor, and I'm terrified of losing you again. Now let's go talk to Fred and Gunn."

In the living room, Fred was hugging Gunn, who looked a little pale.

"We have to talk, the four of us, to make this work," Angel said.

"Really, you want this to work?" Gunn said.

"We are a family, but I need you all to listen to me. I apologize to the three of you for my behavior. I know it's not normal, but I can't lose Connor. I can't see him suffer, and I know that my son is going to suffer, because that's part of life. But parents have years to prepare themselves, but me, no. I've been a father for little more than six months, and my son has had to suffer more than anyone in his life, and when you hurt him, I just can't stand it. And I'm sorry. I know that you want what's best for my son, but Gunn, you don't realize the damage you do with your words. Connor still isn't well, and I don't know when he will be."

"Dad," Connor interrupted, embarrassed. He didn't want to appear weak in front of the guys.

"What, Connor? You just cut open your neck to pay a debt that doesn't exist. You want to stop feeling guilty; I will make sure you stop feeling guilty. But Connor Angel, never again are you going to do something like that. And you, Gunn. You're supposed to be an adult, and yet you yell at a confused boy."

"I think he deserves it," Gunn said.

"Connor had just cut himself to try and repay me. Don't you realize the degree of guilt that he feels, the pain that he feels? How do you think he sleeps? And on top of all that, you say those things to him. When I am here, I and only I discipline my son. And if you all don't agree, let me know. I trust you guys with Connor, but I make the decisions because I am his father and because there are things that you just don't know. Connor is right. You don't have to know about all his punishments and what he did to deserve them. I really appreciate the help that you guys provide, and there is no doubt that if you found Connor out in the street after his curfew and you brought him to me, or if he risked his life and you gave him a few spanks that I would appreciate it, but if I take the door off his room, the reason is not something that you necessarily have to know. Not because I want to play both sides with you. I'll inform you as I need to, but if not, it's just because Connor deserves and needs privacy, all right?"

"If Connor needs privacy, then Connor can have his door back," Connor said.

"No, Connor behaved very badly, and Connor is not going to get his door back until his father sees a change in attitude," Angel said. "And now Connor is going to go up to his room and prepare himself for the spanking of his life."

"What happened to Connor's privacy?" he complained.

"That privacy you lost the moment we all got involved in your actions," Fred said.

"That's right, Connor. What happens between us stays between us, but if you involve other people, your punishment won't be private. That's not to say that it will be public, but if you disrespect me in public, of course other people will know that you're going to be punished. That's not to say that they will see you get punished. And if you disrespect me in private, no one will know that you got punished, because no one will know that you did something to get punished for. Understand?"

"Yes, Dad, but I don't want you to show that face to Uncle Gunn anymore. He can be nosy, but he always worries about me and takes care of me."

"That's true, and I'm sorry. I will try to control myself better."

"And me, if I have a problem with Connor, I'll talk to you about it first," Gunn said, trying to make peace.

"Thank you very much," Angel said. "Now, Connor, why are you still here?"

"I don't want a spanking," he whined, hiding behind Fred.

"Let's go, Conn. We're going to finish this right now," Angel said, pointing him toward his room.

"Go with your father, Connor," Fred told him, propelling him forward with a light smack.

"Ouch, the shot," Connor complained, and Angel made a mental note to take extreme care not to hit him near where he'd gotten the injection.

Connor felt a little bit guilty for what had happened with Gunn, so he offered him the scoop.

"Dad took the door off my room because I was disrespectful, and worse, I pushed him out of my room. That's why I lost my right to a closed room," he complained.

"Behave yourself, Junior," Gunn said, ruffling his hair.

In Connor's room, Angel was seated with the brush to one side of the bed.

He took Connor and situated him over his lap, then bared his bottom.

"Never again are you going to risk your life," he said, and with vampire force began to give Connor smacks that left him breathless.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"OWWWWWwwwww!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"OUCH!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"DADDY, IT HURTS! HOW CAN YOU BE SO GOOD? I DESERVE TO DIE FOR WHAT I DID TO YOU!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"No, son, and we'll be here until you realize that you're wrong."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Please, Dad, it hurts a lot."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Why are we here, Connor?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Because I hate myself."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"And how long are we going to be here?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Until I can forgive myself." He cried harder because he didn't know when that would be.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Are you sorry?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Yeeesssssssssssssssss."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You did it knowing all the facts?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Nooooooooooooooo."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Is it your fault, then?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Noooooooo."

"What do you have to forgive yourself for, then?"

"Nothing, okay, nothing. I was wrong. It's just that you were so good to me, and I didn't listen to you, and if I had been listening to you, Daddy, I swear I would not have done it."

"You're being punished for not listening to me?"

"Yes." He cried even more tears then (as impossible as that seemed).

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You will always listen to Dad, is that clear?"

"Yesssssss, Daddy."

"Now you have nothing to forgive yourself for, Connor, because you were already punished. Dad punished you for not listening to him and for being disobedient, and now you have a clean slate."

"Thaaaank yoooou."

"And finally, no more disrespect," he said, taking the brush and with normal force he gave him

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK

"Daaaddddddy, that hurts so much! Just stop, Dad!"

"It's over, my little boy. Now try to sleep," he said, rubbing his back until he felt Connor's weight shift, and he settled him into his bed so that he would sleep more comfortably. That was the first night that Connor didn't have nightmares and actually slept with a smile on his face.

The next day, Connor was so sore that he stayed in his pajama pants, because even the thought of putting on tighter pants hurt. He ate all his breakfast and did all his punishment chores without complaining, but very slowly. Luckily, Fred took pity on him and let him do his lessons while lying on his bed, and by the end of the day he was caught up in everything, including math. Once he found the art to it, everything seemed pretty easy. Now he was only missing his papers to enroll in school, and that made him happy, because he thought that once he was in school, he'd get into less trouble.

In the afternoon, Francisca Fuller arrived as promised, and needless to say, it was love at first sight.

She was a beautiful girl, and very intelligent, and luckily for Connor, she didn't have a problem with vampires with souls or with boys raised in other dimensions.

"Hi, I'm Franca. You must be Conn."

"Yes," he said, unable to stop smiling.

"Are you going to let me come in?"

"Of course." Angel had told him to visit with her in the living room, but he definitely didn't want that. "Let's go to my room so we'll be more comfortable."

"Of course," she said, smiling mischievously.

"Come on," Connor said, forgetting all about the little detail of his door. She looked at him, puzzled, but decided not to comment. But when they sat down, she noticed that Connor was trying his best to be still.

"Looks like Connor has been a very bad boy," she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Connor turned all shades of red.

"Lucky for you I like bad boys," she said, pushing him. "Get off your butt already, bad boy."

"Thanks," he said, embarrassed but relieved not to have to keep sitting down. He lay down on his stomach without ever breaking eye contact with her.

"Are you going to tell me what you did? I mean, it must have been something big if you have no door and no television."

"Big doesn't begin to cover it, and you forgot about the spanking." He couldn't believe he'd said that, but he felt very comfortable with her and he needed to talk to someone.

"I thought that was obvious."

"What do you know about me?" he asked.

"That technically you should still be in diapers."

"I left three months old and came back sixteen years old."

"I like kids. I'm sorry, go on."

"When I first arrived, I fought a lot with my dad, and was deceived by the man who raised me to hate my dad. Finally, because I was stupid and didn't listen to him, I sent him to the bottom of the sea. It was three months before they pulled him out three days ago. He got home and gave me a good spanking and took away my television and my Game Boy."

"Poor baby," she said, rubbing his back as he arranged himself so that his head was in her lap and his butt wasn't touching anything. Of course, he looked at her with sweetness and mischief.

"The next day, it was more rebellions and more smacks, and thanks to your father, shots," he said, a little resentful. "Then I escaped and went to kill demons, and with my bad luck, I ended up right in front of Dad," he laughed. "You can imagine the rest." Both laughed happily.

"Your poor behind."

"Nah, I heal quickly."

"It doesn't look like it."

"I haven't gotten to the part about the door yet."

"There's more?"

"Yep. I was scared about school. You know, in Quor-toth, there weren't even other humans, much less people my age. I was disrespectful and finally I pushed my dad out of my room. Saying 'Get out! It's my room and I don't want you here' is a bad idea, so goodbye door. Then I cut my neck so that my dad could get even with me and I could let go of the guilt, but that didn't work as planned. I got a trip to the hospital, they stitched me up, your dad gave me a shot, and when we got home my dad really gave it to me... super vampire strength. And there is no quick healing from that, so I have to be a good boy."

"Ah, but I like the bad ones more," she said, laughing.

"He is a bad one. He's not supposed to be in here, but in the living room," Angel said.

"Daa-aad."

"I would tell you not to close the door, but you don't have one," Angel said. He laughed and left.

"And you?" Connor asked.

"And me what?" she asked.

"Do you get spanked?"

"No... I'm a good girl."

"Sure," he said, kissing her (in reality it was no more than a peck).

"Bad boy," she said, leaning down to kiss him better.


	4. Chapter 4

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history.

Connor had been on his best behavior all week. Francisca had invited him to a party, and he thought that if he did everything he was told without protest, that his father would give him permission to go. But when the day of the party arrived, he still didn't quite know how to ask permission, so he devised a plan to test the waters.

"Dad, what are we going to do tonight?"

"I'm going on patrol," Angel answered. "You're going to bed."

"I can't come with you?"

"Conn, you know that you're grounded."

"But I thought..."

"That if you behaved yourself, I would lift the punishment?"

"Yes... I mean, it's not like you intend to have me locked up for the rest of my life."

"Not the rest of your life, sweetheart. Only three months."

"But Daaaad. Don't you think that a week is more than sufficient? I mean, it's not like you haven't already punished me for what I did," he said, grimacing with pain and displeasure as he remembered just how his father had taken charge.

"No, Connor. You are grounded and you know it."

"Great. Thanks, Dad," he said sarcastically.

"No tantrums, Connor, unless you want to go to bed right now."

"I prefer to," he said, leaving for his room.

"Take this," Angel said, handing his son an envelope that he knew would fix his bad mood. "They sent them to me this afternoon."

"Thanks, Dad," he said, hugging him as he saw that besides his identity card and social security card, his father had included a driving course as a surprise gift.

"Fred will teach you how to drive," he said.

"But I thought you would teach me," Connor said, a little disappointed.

"Son, ideally you need to learn how to drive during the day, and I can't do that, but once you get your license, I'll lend you my car."

"You're not going to give me one?" Connor asked. "Franca's father gave her a car when she got her license."

"What a shame that he is not your dad," Angel said, a little embarrassed. Even though he had lived many years, he had not saved up enough money to give his son everything that he wanted.

"It doesn't matter. Chris doesn't even have time for her."

"My sweet little boy," Angel said fondly, ruffling his son's hair because he knew that he was trying to make him feel better.

"Hey, Dad. Do you think you'd ever let me go out somewhere with her sometime?"

"After three months."

"But Daaaaaaad."

"Connor, I'm pretty benevolent just letting her come over every day," Angel said.

"Yeah, right. You watch us all the time," Connor said.

"And just what is that you want to do that I can't know about?"

"Nothing, Dad. But you make me look like a baby in front of my girlfriend," he said without thinking.

"Girlfriend?" Angel asked.

"Uh... Yes. I asked her yesterday and she said yes."

"And just when exactly did you ask me for permission to do that? You're too little to have a girlfriend."

"Dad, I'm not little. And I didn't know I had to ask your permission. It's not like I'm gonna marry her."

"Connor, you are learning too many things for my taste."

"In that case, I won't even go to school," he said, departing before he gave his father an attack.

Later, Connor hid in Angel's office to call Franca.

"Connor, I've been waiting for you to call," she said.

"Sorry, I was busy with chores."

"And Angel gave you permission to go out?"

"Yes, but we have to meet in the plaza."

"Because?"

"Because I have to do some business with my dad... You know, demons and stuff."

"I thought your dad didn't want you involved in all that?" she said.

"I convinced him. You know Dad eats out of my hand." He knew lying was bad, but he didn't want Francisca to think that his father was still treating him like a baby.

"It didn't look like it the other day."

"That was before. After that day, he's not gonna... you know... anymore."

"Okay. I'm coming to look for you," she said.

"Bye. I love you, and see you soon," he said, cutting it short because he felt someone enter the office.

"Connor, what are you doing in the floor?"

"Fred. I dropped a book," he said nervously.

"I don't see anything," she said.

"Someone must have picked it up."

"Connor, when you drop something, pick it up immediately. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. That's why you lose everything."

"I didn't think anyone would pick it up. It's not like everything here is tidy," he grumbled as he left the office.

After dinner...

"Connor, we're going on patrol."

"And me, I'm going to bed," he said angrily.

"If you want, I'll stay here with you. Maybe we could watch a movie," Angel said when he saw his son so upset.

"NO," he said quickly, but at seeing Angel's expression he added, "You will not leave the city unprotected just because I'm a bad kid." His cheeks flushed pink.

"You're not a bad kid. You just made a mistake, and now you're paying for it."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

"Good night, son."

"You too."

Connor set his clock for one hour later, and then got in bed and fell asleep quickly (his father could easily distinguish when he was sleeping from when he was only pretending to sleep). So when Angel went in to kiss him goodnight, he didn't suspect a thing.

An hour later, Connor was waiting for his girlfriend in the square.

"Here, take this, Conn," she said, handing him a fake I.D.

"Thanks, but I already have one," he said, showing her the I.D. that Angel had given him that afternoon.

"Yes, but on that one, it says you're sixteen, and that won't do for where we're going."

"Okay, let's go!" he said excitedly. This was his first party, and he'd be interacting with those who, come Monday, would be his new classmates.

The party was in a bar where they had all sorts of alcohol available. Connor was fascinated. He loved the sense of freedom that alcohol gave him. He'd never been so uninhibited, and Francisca had to make sure that he didn't talk too much. In an unguarded moment, someone offered Connor drugs, and he remembered that the first girl he'd met had died from it. But then he saw that everyone else was having more fun, and he didn't know what to do. He remembered his dad's reaction, checking his arms and asking if he'd taken drugs, but in his drunkenness, he couldn't distinguish if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He decided it would be best to try them. Wasn't that why he was here? Finally he yelled,

"To try new things!"

Luckily Franca realized what he was about to do and stopped him.

"What are you doing, Conn?"

"Fitting in," he answered, his words coming out in a drawl.

"No, Connor. That's bad."

"Oh, come on, my love. Just once! Just one time!" he whined like a baby.

The guys around him shouted, "Connor, Connor!" to cheer him on, but Franca took his face in her hand and said,

"We're going, Connor."

"But... just a little bit longer..."

"Now, or I'm calling your father."

"No."

"Let's go."

"Party pooper," he said, stumbling along the walk.

As luck would have it, the police were doing a raid, and he fell down right in front of a furious officer.

"I'm sorry," Francisca said while trying to get Connor up off the ground.

"I.D.," the officer said unsympathetically.

"Here," Franca said, before Connor could hand him his fake one.

"I see. Sixteen and seventeen. Your parents are going to be happy," he said, picking Connor up off the ground.

"No, Dad definitely is not going to be happy," Connor said after wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"That was sarcasm, boy."

"I'm a _little_ too drunk to know the difference," he answered, holding up his fingers about an inch apart to demonstrate the "little."

"Connor, shut up," Francisca ordered him. "...better."

Once in the car, the officer ordered them to call their parents.

Christopher was on duty at the hospital, and the officer offered to take Francisca there, but Connor just flat out refused to call his father.

"Son, call your dad," the officer repeated.

But Connor still refused to open his mouth.

"Conn, call Angel," Francisca said.

"You told me to shut up."

"Call your father."

"No."

The officer was losing patience when he heard Connor's cell phone ring. Without asking permission, he snatched it out of his hands, and seeing that "Dad" was calling, answered it himself.

"CONNOR STEVEN ANGEL, WHERE HAVE YOU GONE OFF TO?"

The officer saw Connor squirm when he heard his dad yelling.

"Mr. Angel, I'm Officer Smith," he said into the phone. "Your son has been detained."

"What?"

"Yes, I picked him up during a raid at a bar, and your son is completely drunk."

Angel counted to a thousand in vampire speed before he could contain his ire.

"Where do I have to go to get him?"

"I'm gonna let him go. I know that they're good kids that just made a mistake."

"Thank you," Angel said shortly before giving him the address of the hotel.

"I'm dead. Dad is going to kill me," Connor began to whimper.

"He's mad, but I guess he should have known this might happen when he gave you permission to go," Francisca said. Connor just looked at the floor. "Connor, you told me you had permission!"

"I lied, okay? I didn't want you to think that he was still treating me like a baby."

"Connor, I asked you because if you couldn't go, we could have done something else instead."

"But I wanted to go. It's not fair that he grounded me for three months," he complained now that hearing Angel yell had sobered him up a little bit.

"I hope that your father will punish you very severely," the officer said.

"Don't get into this. It's your fault I'm in trouble," Connor said.

"Connor," Francisca rebuked him. "Stop being insolent."

"I don't want to go home. Dad's gonna kill me. Can't they just lock me up and throw away the key?"

"No, if you're this anxious to avoid your father, I think that will serve you better than being in a jail cell." The officer wasn't worried about what would happen to the boy, because he saw no more than the typical fear of being punished, not the blind panic that he had seen in abused children. But he thought it was better to ask anyway. "What do you think your dad will do to you?"

"I don't have to think, I know. He's going to beat me," he said, looking at the floor.

"What?" the officer asked, alarmed to the point of calling social services.

"His dad is not going to beat him," Francisca said. "He's just going to spank him, and it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side," Connor complained.

"I am, but you ran away from home to go to the party. Do you know the scare that must have given your dad?"

"What was I gonna do, leave a note so that he could come drag me out of the bar by my ear?" Connor asked, folding his arms and pouting.

"Do you know the anguish that it must cause to think that your son has been kidnapped?" she answered, sinking Connor in guilt. His dad had already suffered enough when he really had been kidnapped.

"I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to be my girlfriend anymore. I'm a horrible person," he said, looking out the window.

"Connor, I love you, and I'm not going to be quiet when you make a mistake, but that doesn't mean that it'll make me love you any less. But next time, I'll talk to Angel first, so don't think about lying to me again," she said, sticking out her tongue.

"There's not going to be a next time, because Dad is going to end me."

"Connor, don't be so dramatic."

"Easy for you to say. It's not like your dad's going to... you know... you."

"Connor, my dad knows where I am, and I'm not drunk," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Once outside the hotel, the officer knocked on the door as Connor barely remained upright. Angel, of course, had already sensed them and was waiting for them.

Angel had thought about greeting Connor with a good spanking, but seeing the state that his son was in, he settled for just tossing him over his shoulder.

"Thank you very much for bringing my son home, officer," he said.

"Aren't you a little young to be his father?" the officer asked, intrigued by Angel's youth.

"My parents said the same thing, but well, biology is simple."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry, but I have to make sure that the boy is returned to his parents."

"Officer Smith, it's just Connor and me."

"And Fred and Gunn and whoever else feels like they have the right to tell me what to do," Connor griped from Angel's shoulders. What he didn't realize was that his bottom was within perfect reach of the hand of his father, who gave him two hard smacks right on the center of his little behind. "Ouch, that hurt!"

"Silence, Conn, before you make me mad."

"Silence, Conn. Shut up, Connor. That's the only thing that they ever say," Connor continued, but this time Angel just let him complain.

"Excuse my son's behavior. He'd never had alcohol before, and I assure you he won't do it again."

"I hope so. It's such a shame when we lose kids because their parents can't control them."

"I understand perfectly. I'm a private detective, and I've seen everything. Tonight before I went to work, my son was sleeping, and when I got home he was gone. So, Conn, I think I'm going to have to hire a nanny to watch you while I'm at work."

"No, Daaaad," Connor said, half asleep.

"Thank you very much, officer, and I apologize, but I should put my baby to bed now," Angel said.

"Go ahead. And if there's ever anything else, I'll bring him back to you."

"Ohhh, no. For the sake of his butt, this better not happen again."

"I hope not. Now I'm going to take the girl to her father at the hospital."

"You have Francisca in the patrol car?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you ask her father if you can leave her here?" Angel suggested. "Chris has the night shift."

"I'll ask him." After the officer called Christopher and he agreed, he left Francisca at the hotel.

"Fran, I'm going to put Connor in his bed and then I'll be back," Angel said, leaving her in the living room.

Once Angel returned, he made her something to eat, and they sat down to talk.

"Angel, I'm really sorry to have gotten Connor into trouble," she said.

"Conn's a big boy. He decided to lie."

"Yes, but I imagine the shock you got when you didn't find him at home."

"Yes, but Connor can defend himself."

"I promise that next time I'll ask you if he has permission to go out or not."

"Thank you... In many ways, Connor is still just a boy. He's only been living here a little more than three months. He was raised in a hell dimension, but you know how life is here. Connor doesn't want to look like a kid in front of you. He didn't ask my permission because he knew that I would say no, and he didn't want to run the risk of me staying here with him to keep him from going out. But hey, I appreciate that you worry about him. Now it's time for you to go to bed."

"Good night, Angel. Can I go by and say goodnight to Connor?"

"Sure."

In Connor's room (with no door, and after his escape, protections on the windows), Connor was sleeping tangled up in the sheets and looked like a cute little boy. Fran gave him a kiss goodnight.

"I love you, Connor. Sleep well," she said as she left the room.

The next day, Connor awoke with a headache that was killing him. He dragged himself to the dining room, where he found his girlfriend helping Fred with the table.

"Houdini's up," Angel said.

"Who?" Connor asked, squinting.

"A magician, son."

"A witch?" he asked, frightened.

"No, baby. An illusionist. A person who does things that appear to be magic, but they're not. They're just humans."

"How?"

"I'll show you later. Now, have a seat."

Lunch was good except for the tomatoes, so much so that Connor had started to believe he wasn't in trouble. But of course, when Christopher arrived to get Francisca, he took the opportunity to examine Connor and pronounced him perfectly healthy enough to face his father's consequences.

"Connor, say goodbye to Francisca, because your visits are over."

"But Dad!" Connor complained. Francisca decided to intervene before Connor got himself into even more trouble.

"See you Monday at school, Conn," she said.

"Okay," he said, staring at the floor. "See you Monday."

When father and son were finally alone, Angel asked,

"Do you have a headache?"

"No, Dad. I'm fine."

"Good. Now get your butt to your room and wait for me."

"But Daddy..."

"Now, Connor, unless you want the spanking right here."

"No, Dad," he said, walking with his head down toward his room and cursing the fact that he had no door. Angel overheard his worries.

"Connor," he said. "Make that my room."

"Thanks, Dad. But wouldn't it be better to just give me back my door?"

"After last night, you are even further away from that possibility."

Connor waited the better part of ten minutes before Angel arrived.

"Did you have to take so long?" he asked.

"Why? Does it bother you to wait?"

"It's not very pleasant to have to wait for a beating."

"First off, it's a spanking, not a beating. Secondly, it was only the same amount of time that you were gone. You don't like waiting? Well I don't like not knowing where my disobedient son is."

"You're taking revenge on me!" he said belligerently.

"No, Connor. I only wanted you to feel a little bit of the worry that I felt at not finding you here."

"I'm sorry... It's just, I didn't want to look like a baby."

"You are a baby... You're my baby."

"But Dad, none of the other kids my age get spanked."

"Well, I'm sorry, son, but here in this hotel-house, punishments include spankings, so let's not make it worse," he said, putting his son over his lap and immediately baring his bottom.

"Dad, we were talking!" he said, kicking and trying to get off his father's legs.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Connor Angel, don't you run off again."

"But if you won't let me go out, what do you want me to do?" he asked belligerently, which made Angel apply the spanking with a little more force.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Don't you yell at me, Connor Steven."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"I'm sorry. OUCH! I'm sorry!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Daddy! Owww! No more OWww escapades!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Never drink alcohol again."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Drinking is bad! Ouch!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"And no more lies."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"No more OUCH lies, I swear, OW, Daddy."

Angel fixed Connor's clothes and wiped the tears off his cheeks after letting him cry in his arms.

"I just wanted to fit in," he said between sobs.

"Francisca didn't drink," Angel pointed out.

"But I didn't want to look bad in front of the guys."

"And was it worth it?" he asked, patting him on the rear to emphasize the point.

"No. Drinking is bad. It hurts the head and the bottom."

"I hope you don't forget it."

"I won't forget, believe me," he said, rubbing his butt.

"From now on, when I have to leave, I'm going to get someone to watch you."

"That isn't necessary, Dad. I won't risk another spanking."

"It'll make me feel better."

"Can it be Aunt Fred?"

"We'll see," Angel said. "Now, Connor, let's see your I.D."

"Here," he said, passing him the one Angel had given him earlier.

"No, son. The other one." He reluctantly passed it over.

"I'm sorry... Federico... but you do not look 21," he said, ripping it in half.

"But it was a gift."

"_Flowers_ are a gift," Angel said with disgust. But upon seeing the look on Connor's face, he added, "Come here, kid," and hugged him.

"Are you still mad?"

"No, sweetheart... Let's go clear the table from lunch."

"I know I have to, but can I sleep a little first and do it later?"

"Sleep. Dad will do it for you," Angel said, leaning on the bed toward his son and giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you, Dad," Connor said.

"I love you, too, son," Angel answered, shutting the door so that the noise would not wake him.


	5. Chapter 5

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history

"Conn, wake up."

"Five more minutes."

"You said that five minutes ago. Now get up. You don't want to be late for your first day of classes, do you?"

"I don't care. I wanna sleep."

"Up!" Angel said, giving him a smack.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Connor said, jumping out of bed.

"Grab a shower and I'll make you breakfast."

"No tomatoes?"

"No tomatoes." Connor's physicals were going much better, but even so, he still had to follow a balanced diet. He still had to eat tomatoes and beans, but in smaller quantities.

After showering, Connor found his school uniform on his bed.

"Dad, I am not going out in this! It makes me look like a little kid!" he said, showing his father how he looked. And he was right, he did look like an angry little boy.

"You look good," Angel said.

"Not true. I look like I'm eleven years old," Connor complained.

"Well, all the kids at your school wear that uniform. If you don't want to wear a uniform, I can have you change schools. Of course, then you'd see less of Francisca," Angel said, smiling.

"I hate you," Connor said, folding his arms over his chest.

"That's not true. You love your dad," Angel said, tickling him. "Now say it. Say you love your dad."

"Okay, okay! You love your dad! You love your dad!" he said, laughing and making fun of Angel.

"Come on. We barely have time for breakfast."

"I'm a little nervous, Dad," he said, surprising Angel.

"Everything will be fine. Do you have your schedule?"

"Yes, and Fred helped me prepare for class."

"That's my boy," Angel said, ruffling his hair.

"Dad, you're making me look even more like a kid." The messy hair made him look even younger than the uniform had.

"Well, remember, you are only nine months old," Angel said.

"Dad…"

"Son… Come on. And if you need anything, call and I'll come find you."

"Yeah, and get fried in the street. No thanks. I'll be fine."

"Ready, boys?" Fred said from the doorway.

"Yes… Connor, remember: behave yourself, be respectful, and don't get in trouble."

"And on top of all that, I have to study," Connor complained.

"Connor."

"I know, Dad. I'll be a good boy."

"You will be, because if the principal calls me, your butt will be in trouble."

"I don't understand how it is that my butt is always in trouble when the poor guy never does anything," Connor complained.

"Tell your big head not to get you in trouble, then."

"Later, Dad," he said, closing the door and leaving a very worried father. Angel only wanted everything to go well for Connor.

At school, Francisca introduced him to all her classmates and showed him all around the school before leaving him at the office so he could meet with the principal.

The chat with the principal was entertaining and intimidating at the same time because besides welcoming him, he warned him that he wouldn't tolerate bad behavior. He explained that sanctions could include having a note sent home to be signed, losing free time, getting detention or a suspension, and in severe cases, expulsion. But all Connor was thinking was that his father would end his ass, so he'd decided to behave himself. But it was one thing to decide to behave himself, and quite another thing to actually behave.

His classmates were good. They were great, in fact, and so friendly that they were caught disrupting class, and the teacher gave Connor a note that had to be signed by his father.

"What am I going to do? My first day and I'm already in trouble… My dad's going to kill me," he complained to his new classmates.

"Don't give the note to your parents," said his friend Sam.

"And then what do I turn in tomorrow?"

"Just do your father's signature and voila. They never call home and check," said Lucas.

"I don't know… If I get found out, my dad is going to be more bothered."

"You won't. I've been doing it for years and they've never caught me," Sam said.

"Okay. How do I do it?"

"Find your father's signature and copy it as close as you can. After a few tries, when it looks the same, sign the document."

"Thanks," Connor said, stopping to meet Francisca.

"How were classes?" she asked.

"Good, and yours?" he asked, smiling.

"Fatal. I have so much studying to do. Do you want me to drop you off at home?"

"I can't. My uncle Gunn is going to come and pick me up. You know, the punishment is harder since the other day."

"I'm sorry. If I had known, I never would have taken you to that party."

"I wanted to go. What about you, with your dad? Did he punish you or anything?"

"It didn't bother him since they stopped me but nothing else."

"You're lucky," Connor said.

"Why? That it didn't matter to my dad?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"No, that you don't get … you know… Besides, I've seen how he looks when he talks about you. He adores you."

"The problem is that he only talks about me. He never talks _to _me. He doesn't have time."

"I know what. You should make an appointment to see him," Connor said, smiling.

"You're great, you know?" Francisca asked.

"Yes, that's what my girlfriend says."

"Go on. You don't want to make Gunn wait."

In the truck, Connor avoided talking to Gunn, saying that he was tired, and after answering in monosyllables, he finally left him alone. Connor took the opportunity to meditate on what he should do about the note. Maybe it would be better to tell his father about the note and suffer the punishment. Yes, he would do that.

When they arrived at the hotel, Angel was waiting anxiously for him.

"How was your first day?" he asked.

"Good."

"You behaved well, I suppose."

"Yes, Dad," he said, staring at the floor. But Angel was so excited that he didn't even notice the fact that Connor had lied.

"Go and change out of your uniform while I finish lunch, and Connor, after lunch, homework."

"Yes, Dad," he said, leaving to change into something more comfortable.

After lunch, Connor went as fast as he could into his father's office to find Angel's signature and started practicing. He couldn't disappoint his dad by confessing that he'd misbehaved on his first day of classes. After forging the signature, he started on his homework. When he'd finished it, Fred looked it over, and what a surprise she got when she found Connor's note with Angel's supposed signature on it.

"Connor, what is the meaning of this?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Do not lie, Connor Angel."

"Aunt Fred, don't tell Dad!"

"No, young man, you're going to do that yourself."

"No, please, I won't do it again."

"Start walking, Connor," she said, taking him by the arm and bringing him before Angel.

"Angel, Connor has something to tell you," she said.

"…"

"Connor?" said Angel.

"I'm sorry, Dad. It's just that I did something bad at school and I got a note sent home."

"Let's see the note." Connor timidly handed the note to his father, who was surprised to see it was already signed.

"Go to your room now, Connor," he ordered, propelling him forward with a hard slap on the bottom.

Angel did not make Connor wait long.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't talk in class."

"No, son, you shouldn't, and that's why I want you to write a hundred times, 'I should not talk in class.' And if you had told me about the note to begin with, that would have been all. But now I have to punish you for lying and forging my signature."

"No. It's just that I didn't tell you because I didn't want to let you down," Connor said.

"Son, you should always tell your dad the truth. And you'll never let me down, baby, no matter what you do."

"I have to write."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but those are serious offenses and are punishable by spanking," Angel said, arranging his son over his lap.

"No, Daddy, I won't do it again."

"I know you won't, son," he said, pulling down his pants and underwear.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Connor, we have talked about the lying."

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"Oww! It hurts!"

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"If they give you a note at school, I expect you to deliver it to me."

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"I will, Dad. I won't lie to you again."

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"Never forge my signature again," Angel said, applying a little more force to the swats.

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"Ahhhhh!" Connor just cried.

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"Daaadddy, it hurts!"

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"I'm waiting for a response, Connor."

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"I'll never forge your signature again," he said when he'd calmed down enough to talk.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"All right, sweetheart, we're finished," Angel said while fixing Conn's clothes.

"I didn't want to disappoint you, Dad. That's why I didn't tell you anything," Connor said without stopping his crying.

"I am proud of you every day of your life. There is nothing you can do to change that," Angel said, hugging his boy.

"And what do I do about the note at school?" Connor asked between sobs.

"Daddy will fix it."

Angel couldn't let Connor turn in the falsified document, so in his communication book he wrote a note explaining that the note had been lost but that Connor had made him aware of its contents and had committed to improving his behavior in class. He also took the opportunity to explain that this was a new situation for his son because his mother had homeschooled him and it would take him a bit to get accustomed to the school rules, and he asked for a little bit of understanding for his child.

Connor was happy that his dad had taken care of the problem, and he vowed to himself to never again do something as stupid as forging his dad's signature.


	6. Chapter 6

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history.

Incredibly, Connor went weeks behaving himself. With his girlfriend and new friends, he didn't think too much about going out demon hunting. He even controlled his mouth when something bothered him, and in school he was doing very well. He played several sports, but he secretly resented that his dad wasn't there to see him play. Of course, Fred and Gunn always went with him, but it wasn't the same, even when Angel sat by his side on the sofa and watched the games that the guys recorded for him. Connor wanted his dad to be able to come watch him, and as nobody else seemed to care about it, he decided to take the bull by the horns and do something about it himself.

"Dad, I'm going to Franca's house," he said.

"First, Connor, that is no way of asking permission, and second, you are still grounded," Angel answered.

"But Dad, none of my friends have to ask permission, and none of them are ever grounded, especially not for three months."

"Well, I'm not their father. I'm yours," Angel said. "You only have two weeks left, so don't complain."

"If I leave, it'll be your fault," he grumbled, leaving the room.

His plan had failed, but he wasn't giving up. After achieving what he wanted, his ass would suffer the consequences, but he didn't care. He would have a dad who was as normal as he could be under the circumstances.

So, without much thought, he jumped from his room and ran away, praying that Angel did not find out.

He had heard talk of the ring that his father had stupidly destroyed, and now he had to go to some caves where there supposedly was another like it. It was fortunate that Francisca had given up the idea of going in with him and had reluctantly agreed to stay in the car, because now Connor was a little scared, but he would find the ring.

It had been two hours since Connor had run away from home. Angel had gone to the Fuller house looking for him only to discover that neither Connor nor Francisca was at home, so he decided to track them.

Connor had been inside the cave a little over an hour, and Francisca did not see any evidence that he was going to come out, so she decided to call Angel after having put in the number and changing her mind countless times.

"Angel," she greeted.

"Where's Connor?" he said quickly, recognizing the fear in the girl's voice.

"He went in a cave," she answered.

"Where are you?"

"Inside the park past a creek. Angel, it's been a long time. I'm going to investigate."

"Francisca, no matter what happens, you stay in the car," Angel ordered.

"What if something happened to him?" she asked.

"I'm on my way," he said, hanging up. With the description that he'd been given, he knew exactly where the kids were. What he didn't know was why.

Angel had never run so fast. He literally flew across the rooftops, but he knew he had to hurry to save his son. The caves Connor had entered were full of malevolent creatures. His worry was such that he forgot to call the rest of the team. As soon as he arrived, he destroyed all the creatures that crossed his path until he found his boy surrounded by giant cockroaches. After dispatching with all of them, he took his son by the arm and hugged him hard. If he had arrived any later, his son could have been eaten alive.

"Let's go," he said.

"I have to do something," Connor answered.

"Let's go," he repeated, giving him three hard smacks.

Connor resisted, despite having stayed out of trouble for so long and forgetting how much spankings could hurt.

"Please, Dad. You can hit me all you want, but let me go."

"Come on, then," Angel said, smiling, when he saw his son so desperate to do whatever it was he needed to do.

When they reached the chamber, there was no ring. Connor couldn't believe it. He didn't know whether to collapse and cry or to hate his father.

"This is your fault! You're an idiot!" he yelled, pulling away from his father's embrace and taking off at a run. He couldn't understand why his father had wasted his only chance to be able to go out into the light.

"Connor! Connor, wait!" Angel called.

"NO!"

"What the hell is the matter?"

"My father is a damn vampire, that's what."

The ride home was horrible. Francisca didn't dare hug Connor when he came out of the cave because his father had, without a second thought, given him two hard swats and pointed him toward the car.

Connor sat carefully in the front seat and watched out the window the whole way. Angel did not understand what was going on with his son, but he would find out after severely punishing him for entering that cave without protection. His little baby could have died!

After finally arriving at the hotel, father and son got out and Conn's girlfriend was sent home.

"Go to your room," Angel ordered.

"NO!"

"Perfect," Angel said, dragging his son to the red chair in the lobby.

"NO, DAD, NOT HERE!" Connor yelled desperately as he understood his father's intentions.

But that didn't seem to matter to Angel because all he could see was his son being eaten alive by cockroaches.

He simply sat in the chair and put his son over his knees, bared his bottom, and proceeded to whack him with super vampire strength.

"OWWWWWW!" was the only thing that Connor said.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"You are never again going to risk your life like that!" he said.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"HYPOCRITE!" Connor yelled.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Why, son?" Angel asked, trying to calm himself down. "Why am I a hypocrite?"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Because you destroyed your only possibility of being normal!"

Angel stopped altogether.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's because you broke that ring that you can't go out with me… I'm the only one whose dad doesn't come to see him play."

"Son, I'm so sorry," Angel said.

"I'm going to play in the final game of the championship and I wanted you to be there," he finally confessed.

"I will be," Angel answered.

"How, if I didn't find the other ring?" Connor asked.

"Is that what you were looking for?"

"Yes."

"You never put yourself in danger for me!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"I have already lived a much longer life than I should have. Your life is much more important than mine."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"That's not true," Connor said.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Yes, it is," Angel said, ending the punishment.

Connor clung to Angel until he fell asleep and then some. After a long time, Angel led his baby to bed and prepared to make some calls.

Connor sensed that something was up, because they had two visitors: the girl who had electrocuted both Gunn and his dad, and also a witch that, according to Angel, was good. Connor had wisely taken his father's word for that after the spanking he had given him for trying to run from her.

But well, he didn't have time for this right now. He had a championship to win, so he took his things and left, not even bothering to say goodbye to his dad. Since the incident with the cave three days ago, Connor avoided contact with everyone. He was very angry that his father didn't seem to be bothered by the situation, so he just acted like he wasn't either.

What a surprise Connor got when, after scoring a goal, he saw his father before him, and he wasn't fried by the sun. Connor ran to him and hugged him tightly while Angel stroked his hair.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, you left without saying goodbye, so I didn't get a chance to wish you good luck," Angel answered.

"How?"

"Long version or short?"

"Short. I have to get back to the game," he said, hearing his companions complaining about his delay.

"Gwen electrocuted me, and Willow fixed that moment, so well, now your dad is a vampire with vital functions," Angel answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Connor asked.

"I didn't know if it would work, and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"You never would."

"I love you, Connor. Now go back to your game!"


	7. Chapter 7

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history

The first days that Angel had been able to walk in the sun had been amazing, especially for Connor. Angel had cleared it with Connor's school and they had hit the road, covering deserts and bathing in the ocean. Yes, they had returned to the sea. Connor was reluctant because he remembered what he had done to his father, but Angel insisted because he thought it was a good way for Connor to forgive himself.

"It's amazing, Dad," Connor said while splashing in the water.

"Conn, do you think that you could swim by yourself?" Angel said cheerfully, as he had finally found something that he could teach his child.

"NO!" he said, clinging to his father so that he wouldn't let him go in the middle of the ocean.

"Relax, son. I'm by your side," Angel said, and little by little he was dropping Connor without him realizing it, and finally his little angel was swimming alone.

"I did it, Dad, I did it!" Connor cried when he realized what he had done.

They spent all afternoon at the beach. In a few hours, Connor, with his super abilities, could swim like a fish in the water.

The next morning, Connor insisted that they go deep sea diving. Angel was opposed to the idea, but when he saw the smile on his son's face, he couldn't tell him no. Connor was amazed by all the wonders in the ocean, but Angel began to have a panic attack. There were moments that he could see only himself imprisoned in that box and the look of hatred on his son's face. That look was what pained him the most.

Their diving instructor quickly removed him from the water with Connor's help. When Angel finally calmed down, Connor tried to ask him what had happened at the bottom of the ocean, but Angel refused to talk about it, so they returned in stony silence to the hotel they were staying at. Once inside their room, Angel had calmed down completely, but he still didn't want to talk about what had happened. He knew that his son would feel guilty, and that was the last thing that he wanted. His son was finally beginning a new life.

"Dad, let's talk about what happened," Connor finally suggested.

"Conn, there's nothing to talk about."

"Nothing to talk about? Dad, you almost died out there!"

"I'm a vampire, son."

"That's not what I meant. You know what, forget it. I'm going to bed. You should do the same," Connor answered disrespectfully.

Angel decided to just let that go and to go to sleep himself, but he hadn't counted on having nightmares. He dreamed about being trapped in the box that Connor had made, and he cried out in his sleep, words like, "I'll kill you!" and "I should have done it before!"

Connor heard the words and assumed that they were for him. He looked at his father, felt a tear drop down his face, and turned to leave. He knew his father would never forgive him. He just wished he'd realized that before he'd gotten used to having a family. He looked one last time around the room and then left without listening to the rest of his father's nightmares.

"I should have killed you the first time that I saw you. You'll never get my son! Connor, run!" Angel shouted. He would have done anything to keep his son away from Holtz. The nightmares continued until Angel finally defeated him and had his son safe in his arms. Of course, all he really had in his arms was a pillow.

Connor ran aimlessly. He was alone and afraid in a strange state. He thought maybe he should have waited to run away until after they'd gotten home, but it was better this way. It would have been even harder to stay away from everyone if he was in the same city.

Angel woke up, and when he didn't see his son, he called his cell phone, which rang right there in the room. He realized that his son's other things were gone and he began to believe that he was still asleep and that his son had been kidnapped again.

After convincing himself that he was awake and that his son had just run away again, Angel set out to find him. Now he was truly grateful to be able to walk in the sun and not have to wait until nightfall to go after his son.

Angel barely managed to follow his son's trail because it was almost cold. He had to traverse half the city before he finally found him on some cliffs that were very similar to those where they had fought that night.

"Connor Angel!"

"What are you doing here?" Connor asked without turning his gaze from the rocky bottom.

"I think the question is, what are you doing here?"

"You came to kill me," Connor said. It was much more a statement than a question.

"What the hell are you talking about, Connor?"

"I heard you last night. You said that you would kill me and that you should have done it before."

"I never said that."

"Just shut up already and stop lying. I know perfectly well what you're doing. It's the same thing I did to you. I pretended to love you so that I could kill you. Well, congratulations, Angel. You won. You fooled me."

"Connor..."

"Don't worry. I'll make your work easier," he said, standing at the edge of the cliff and preparing to jump.

But Angel grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his body, not turning away until he was sure that he had him secured.

Angel looked around to make sure no one was around and then he threw his son over his lap.

"Let me go, Angel!"

"That's Dad," he said, dropping a heavy hand on his son's backside.

"Owwwwww!" Connor screeched. It wasn't fair that he was using vampire strength.

"You are never going to run away again."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"I heard you, Angel!" Connor spat.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"That's Dad, Connor. You are not allowed to call me by my name."

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"Yes, Dad, whatever. Just stop hitting me!" he said as the first tears fell.

"You will not leave the hotel without permission."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Whatever you OWW say!" Conn would do anything to get his father to stop spanking him. He was already imagining that people would arrive and find him getting spanked like a little kid.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"I would never hurt you, son. I love you."

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT

"I love you, too," Connor answered.

"Then we're clear. Never run away."

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"Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, kiddo," Angel said, pulling down his pants and underwear.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Connor said, trying to pull his clothes back up.

"I think we need to deal with that little stunt you just pulled," Angel replied.

"NO, Dad, it was a mistake OUCH!" Connor was interrupted by the hardest slap that his father had ever given him in all his punishments. "OWwww, Dad!"

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"Never again, Connor Angel."

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"It hurts! It hurts so much, Daddy!"

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"I'm sorry, Connor, but I'm going to make sure that this doesn't happen again," Angel said, swatting harder. He hated to cause his son pain, but he couldn't allow his little boy to continue trying to kill himself.

SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT SWAT, SWAT, SWAT

"It was a mistake, Daddy. You said ... I only wanted to make it easier for you," he cried through tears and sobs.

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"I never said that, Connor."

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"I heard you in your sleep last night."

Angel thoughtfully recalled what he was dreaming the previous night that could have made him use such words.

"I was dreaming about Holtz."

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"What? OWWWWWW!"

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"Yes, I was dreaming that he wanted to take you away again and I would not let him," he said, resting his hand on his son's bottom.

Through all Connor's crying, Angel could only make out a,

"You saved me."

"Yes, my treasure. I'm not going to let anybody take you away from me," Angel said, fixing his son's clothes and holding him in his lap so he could rock him.

"Thanks, Dad," Connor said, clinging tightly to his father.

After half an hour, Angel set out walking with his son in his arms. He had to get back to the hotel and order breakfast for his son.

It didn't matter to Angel if they looked at him funny on the street for carrying a teenage boy in his arms. People clearly assumed that the boy had gotten drunk and hadn't slept at all. When Angel arrived at the hotel, he tucked Connor into bed very carefully and ordered room service for him while he heated up blood for himself.

Angel could not help but feel guilty for having awakened again those thoughts in his son. He just hadn't wanted to go diving. He should have just said no. He knew it was a bad idea, but he just couldn't tell Connor no, not when his son was so excited about it. He just hoped that their vacation wasn't ruined now.

When Connor's breakfast arrived, the smell of it woke him up. He sat up quickly, which of course he was very sorry for, and he immediately had to jump up from the pain in his behind.

"You did a great job, Dad," he complained with a smile on his lips.

"I hope that will be the last time," Angel replied.

"Daddy, we're talking about me here. Don't expect miracles."

"You are my miracle."

"I know," Connor said as he began to eat his breakfast.

Connor insisted on spending all day at the beach, on his stomach of course, so father and son lay with their backs to the sun watching the depths of the ocean in silence until Connor began to speak.

"We have to let it go, Dad."

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked.

"What I did. I'm not going to keep apologizing or feeling guilty. I didn't know you. I only did what my father taught me and it wasn't my fault that I believed him. I wouldn't do it today. I know that you're my dad and that you love me, but back then, no, I didn't know. So, I'm done. I won't apologize anymore for it."

"I'm happy to hear that, son," Angel said, ruffling his son's hair.

"But Dad, you have to let it go, too. You weren't the evil one. It was Angelus, not you, so stop torturing yourself. And it wasn't your fault that I got kidnapped. It was Angelus' fault, so enough of your eternal damnation. If I can forgive myself, so can you ... Unless you need a spanking to help you," he said, smiling mischievously at his father.

"No thanks, son. I learn fast," Angel said, hugging his little boy. It seemed that the day wasn't as ruined as he'd thought after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Ketterly thank very much for the translation the history.

After their heartfelt conversation in front of the vast ocean, father and son had finished the healing process. Angel finally knew that his son would be a "normal boy"—well, as normal as he could be, being the son of two vampires.

Neither of them wanted to go home, because there they both had obligations, but here on the beach it was just them, and they _liked_ being alone together. They loved the guys and everything, but they had to admit that it was difficult to have a good father and son relationship with the whole world interfering. Angel couldn't deny that Fred and Gunn had helped him a lot with Connor, but Conn was _his_ son, _his _baby, and he didn't want to share him. He hated sharing him, this sweet boy that he'd finally gotten back, this sweet boy that would always be his.

"Dad, do we have to go back?" Connor complained for the umpteenth time since he'd started packing.

"Yes, Connor," Angel replied with a patience that he didn't feel.

He didn't want to go back either, and listening to his son's constant complaints didn't make for a good mood.

"You sure?" Connor asked.

"Connor Angel, you have three minutes to pack and be sitting in the car smiling, or you'll be crying over my knee. You decide," Angel said with a seriousness that he didn't feel. He didn't really intend to punish his son for complaining about something that he didn't want to do, either, but they had to get moving. It was a long way home, and Connor had to be back at school in three days, which meant they couldn't waste any more time. Angel had to suppress his laughter when he saw Connor quickly gather his things with a smile on his face, a big fake smile.

When Connor was about to go out the door, Angel stopped him.

"Go to the bathroom before we leave," he said.

"Dad, I'm not a little kid," Connor replied, embarrassed.

"Yes, you are a kid, my kid, and don't you ever forget it," Angel said, taking Connor's bag from him and nudging him toward the bathroom with a smack on the bottom.

Once they were finally in the car, Connor looked at his father and asked curiously,

"You weren't really gonna hit me, right? I mean it's not like I was doing anything wrong, right?"

"Just disobeying your father," Angel said with a frown.

"Yeah, but you don't wanna leave, either," Connor said, looking as angelic as possible, and with those eyes looking at him like that, Angel couldn't keep up his serious façade and finally smiled.

"Of course I don't want to leave," he said. "I want to stay here with my little brat, but my brat has to go back to school, so we have to hurry."

"Oh, so now it's my fault… You're the one who insisted that I go to school."

"And you're complaining?" Angel asked. "Wasn't it at school where you met your girlfriend?"

"No, it was at the hotel," Connor said, sticking his tongue out at his father. "You just wanna go back so you can see _your_ girlfriend."

"Connor, we have responsibilities."

"I know, Dad. It's just that I don't want to lose what we accomplished these past few days."

"Connor, does it bother you that I'm dating Gwen?" Angel asked, worried that his relationship with Gwen was what was scaring his son.

"No, she's a good woman for you. You look the same age, and she'll be a good mom." He smiled. "It'll be good to have a mom."

Angel did not know how his son had drawn such conclusions so quickly. He and Gwen had just started dating, and he hadn't realized how much his son wanted a normal family. He just hoped that things worked out for them. Fortunately, from his conversations with Gwen, he knew that she wanted the same things for them, and she was hoping to be a great family, too.

The rest of the trip they spent chatting about trivial things, but they enjoyed that, even the moments of silence that they had.

When they got home, they saw that everyone was there waiting for them, and both Connor and Angel were surprised to see that Gwen wasn't covered like normal to avoid electrocuting anyone she touched, and they were even more surprised when she ran into the arms of her man and her new son.

"How?" Connor was the first to ask.

"Well, while my men were off resting, Gunn and I found a solution to my little problem, so now I can touch my boys."

"It's amazing, Mom!" Connor said, not realizing that he had inadvertently revealed his hopes.

"Anything for my son," she said, kissing him on the forehead, then jumping into Angel's arms and kissing him.

"I waited for you, love," she said seductively into his ear.

"Me too."

Connor looked in the crowd for Francisca, but he didn't see her, so he was pretty disappointed. He didn't want to ruin everyone else's welcome, though, so he kindly greeted the guys and blamed his lack of spirit on being tired.

"Connor, why don't you go to your room and drop off your bags," Angel ordered.

"Yes, Dad," he said, and added a silent 'thank you' for the excuse to mope in private without anyone bothering him.

Boy was Connor surprised when he got to his room and found that his door had been replaced. Yes, Angel had called ahead of time and asked them to put Connor's door back, and when Conn entered, he found his girlfriend there putting the final touches on his room.

"You like it?" she said, pointing at the new 45-inch plasma television.

"I missed you," he said, kissing her.

"I missed you too, baby."

"I have a Nintendo?" Connor cried as he looked past her and saw the game on his bed.

"Wow, you definitely know how to make a woman feel good," Francisca jokingly complained.

"Yes, I love you too, but do you know how long I've been asking my dad for a Wii, always getting the same answer of, 'You're grounded, Connor'?"

"I'm glad that you're not anymore," she replied, kissing her boyfriend. "Okay, go see your father." She knew that Conn wanted to run and thank his dad.

"Dad! Dad… Thank you! Thank you so much," he said, hugging his father.

"All for you, my baby," he said. "Anything for you."


End file.
